March 4, 2026 • 38 mins
We kicked off our continuing news hour by asking the question, is it rude to skip the tip screen at a coffee counter?
8:05PM: Is It Really Rude to Skip the Tip Screen at a Coffee Counter?
Guest: Charlotte Hilton Anderson – Journalist & Writer for Reader’s Digest
8:15PM: Lost & Found in Boston. Ten Weird But Totally True Boston Stories of real life items or artifacts in Boston you might not know…
Guest: Heather Hopp Bruce – Boston Globe Director of Visual Strategy for Globe Opinion8:30PM: Stair Climbing for Healthy Lungs: American Lung Association’s Fight For Air Climb returns to One Boston Place on March 28 to raise awareness about lung disease & raise funds for research & treatment.
Guest: Ashley Carrier - Executive Director, American Lung Association
8:45PM: What is college really for, anyway? Massachusetts prompts heated debate over three-year degrees.
Guest: Hilary Burns – Boston Globe Higher Education Reporter
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:01):
It's Night Side with Dan ray I'm telling you Boston's
anech Radio.
Speaker 2 (00:07):
Well we do hope tip. Goodnight here on Nightside. My
name is Dan raym the host of the program heard
every Monday through Friday night from eight until midnight. And
we have four really interesting guests coming into up this
hour different topics. We're going to talk about whether or
not you should tip when you are presented with the
tip screen at your local coffee shop. Going to talk
about about ten really weird Loston found cases in Boston.
(00:30):
Going to talk about a stair climb being sponsored by
the American Lung Association. Also going to talk about Hillary
Burns of the Boston Will about the three year college
degrees that some schools are beginning to think of, so
instead of four years to get a bachelor's degree, you
spent three years later. On tonight, we're going to talk
about the State Supreme Court here in Massachusetts weighing whether
(00:53):
or not gun licenses should be given to teenagers, people
under the age of twenty, under the age of twenty
one actually. And then we'll talk with Jeff Robbins, a columnist,
a former assistant US attorney, and you one delegate to
the United Nations Human Rights Counsel in Geneva, and we
will discuss everything you need to know about Operation Epic Fury.
(01:17):
But first I'd like to introduce Charlotte Hilton Anderson. Charlotte,
Welcome to Nightside. How are you?
Speaker 3 (01:25):
Oh, I'm great. I'm super excited to talk about moral
crises and tipping screen.
Speaker 2 (01:29):
Well, it's very important that sort of morality is the
sort of reality that's easy to talk about. You are
a journalist and a writer for readers digest, and the
question that you are asking, I guess is is it
really rude to skip the tip jar or screen at
a coffee counter. I think it's a dilemma, moral dilemma
(01:50):
that all of us have faced at some point in
our lives. It is a vestige of I think the
COVID times as we like to refer to them, back
in twenty twenty and twenty twenty one and beyond. Why
don't you set up the moral dilemma for us? Which
(02:10):
should probably be yeah.
Speaker 3 (02:11):
So ye, it's causing people a lot of panic. I
did like an online poll and people were so evenly
split on this one. Fifty percent said that you should
absolutely tip, and fifty percent said I will never tip,
and I'm not buying a CEO another mansion, and people
had really strong feelings about it. I have gotten so
much hate mail about this article from people feelings both ways.
Speaker 2 (02:35):
So that is what percentage of the fifty percent of
the people who said that you definitely should tip are
themselves professional baristas?
Speaker 3 (02:46):
If we don't see all of them, Yeah, yeah, probably
a lot.
Speaker 4 (02:50):
I mean.
Speaker 3 (02:50):
The moral dilemma is that it's this very public display
of are you a good person? Because we associate tipping
with helping people out, which makes you a good person.
And if you don't tip, then are you a bad person?
Speaker 2 (03:02):
Yeah? Yeah, so you actually in this article it readers
Digest actually come to a variety of conclusions which are
basically situational. And I happen to agree with you. When
I go into Duncans and I buy I make my
own coffee at home. I like to do that. Okay,
(03:23):
So I used to do coffee and a glaze stick
or something like that. Now I'll just do the glaze stick.
Don't do it every day, but you know certain days
you do. And I make my own coffee at home.
I don't grind the beans or anything like that, But
I just think that the prices of coffee are kind
of through the roof. What's it now, like two eighty
(03:43):
nine for a medium coffee, and that's like a Duncan's
I think anywhere else. Yeah, you know, so I'm conscious.
But what I'll do is if I'm I always deal
with cash, small cash, I'm not someone I think part
of the problem is if you always use it in
a debit card, you always going to face the screen.
(04:03):
Cash absolutely twenty cents, throw it in the jar, move on.
That's easy, but it's tougher when they present you with
the screen. Tell us that that dilemma and how you
handle that with you Yeah.
Speaker 3 (04:18):
Yeah, First of all, I think your solution is a
really creative one, and I wish I'd thought to put
it in the article.
Speaker 5 (04:22):
That's genius.
Speaker 3 (04:24):
So the electronic tipping screen takes advantage of that inertia
where you're you already have your credit card out, you're
already tapping to pay, and it just makes it seamless
to add more money. Plus you have that public spectacle
of everybody looking at you, the workers looking at you,
the other people are looking at you. So what I
decided for myself because I'm very susceptible to peer pressure,
I'll admit it, and so I had to make some
(04:46):
guidelines which included is it worth it? Did they add
extra value or extra effort to what they're doing? Is
it a small business? Is it a big corporate thing?
Which is a lot of mental calculus honestly to get
a coffee?
Speaker 2 (05:00):
Yeah, too much early in the morning for me, right.
Speaker 3 (05:04):
Right, that's why we're getting the coffee, right, yes, of course.
Speaker 2 (05:07):
Of course. So well, I sort of analogize it to restaurants.
So for example, I think if you go to have
dinner in a restaurant with someone and you're picking up
the tab, and if you're the guy, I hope you're
picking up the tab, particularly if you're on a date
or something like that, kind of old school. You look
at the bill and you think, okay, how will we
(05:29):
treat it. If the person came over and was really
peppy and welcoming, they get a little extra. If they
were horrific, if they were inattentive, they get a little less.
I mean, you really can't go below fifteen percent. I
think when you're in a restaurant and you know twenty
percent is the standard tip if it's standard service twenty percent,
(05:53):
that's easy.
Speaker 3 (05:56):
Yeah, But the crucial difference with that is that at
those types of restaurants, workers are normally making the tipped
minimum wage, your minimum food wage, which is like two
to three dollars an hour. People like the barista, or
at a fast food chain or something, they're making regular
minimum wage, which isn't like a ton of money, but
it's a lot more than two or three dollars an hour.
(06:17):
So like tipped wages, it's expected that you'll tip other wages.
I don't know where we got the idea that we
have to tip for everything. One of the things that
I found the most interesting was they had this study
from twenty twenty five that found that eighty I think
it is eighty eight percent of Americans agreed that companies
should pay their workers more money instead of expecting customers
(06:39):
to tip more.
Speaker 2 (06:40):
Sure, yeah, well that's part of it as well. And
the other thing too is I just think it's always
going to be how the person treats you. If I
go in and the person is really nice to me
and I bought, you know, a two dollars pastry or
something like that, I'm willing to put a bucket in
the tip jar, because that that's going to be of
(07:03):
some significance. But if the person just kind of goes
through the motions, doesn't even make eye contact and hands
to you, then okay. If they want to make it
that cold, I guess you got to write to be cold.
If they're warm and fuzzy, I think you tip. Yeah,
maybe that's too simple a formula. In your you talked
(07:25):
about the baristas and people will go in and they're
ordering you know this, and with fourteen different combinations, those
people should be tipping. I think if you're going in
and you're saying, I want, you know, my mocha this
and a vanilla shot and some some cream on top
or whatever, and can you stir it for me four
(07:46):
times a counterclockwise, if they do that for you, you
better tip. I think.
Speaker 3 (07:53):
I agree. I agree, especially when they take the extra effort.
The place where people got really split in the online
poll was they could see a custom coffee like generating
an extra tip because it takes some extra work. Where
people got upset with the bagel counter, like you're cutting
a bagel enough, you're putting cream cheese on it, you're
putting in a bag and you're handing it to someone.
So even if they were really nice, would you still
(08:14):
feel like that was a tip?
Speaker 2 (08:16):
I would. I would. But again, if you're I'm a
person who has something of a public persona having worked
in the business here for many, many years, you don't
want someone saying, what a cheap sob That guy is
what I used to like to do. I'm a dunkin
Donuts guy. Always been a dunkin Donuts guy, simplest, even
(08:37):
when I was buying the car, well, I'd buy the
dunkin Donuts coffee and make my so some of my
crews when I worked in television, they would insist on
going into a Starbucks and I used to light the
light going into the Starbucks. This is when Starbucks really
first started, like maybe twenty five years ago. And I
would go in and I would stand in the line
following my crew and they would order all the fancy
smancy stuff, and I'd say, do you happen to have
(08:59):
dunkin Donut? That's coffee? The Bretons can be like, what
an idiot? But I used to enjoy going in and
then laugh. They'd get the joke, and I say, No'm
a Doncadnu's guy just hanging hanging with my crew, and
you make kind of a little bit of a joke,
but when it comes to tips, there's no joking around.
(09:20):
I think you got you gotta do the right thing,
in the words of Spike Lee, do the right thing,
whatever it feels right, do it.
Speaker 1 (09:29):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (09:30):
Well, and there's a lot to be said for just
making the world a little bit kinder, a little bit nicer.
I mean, if you can afford it and it doesn't
hurt to tips and it makes someone else happy, I
think that's pretty great. The other question I have too
is though a lot of we don't know where the
electronic tips go necessarily, so it may not be the
worker that gave you the nice coffee that's actually getting
the tip. So some of them actually just go directly
(09:52):
to management. And it's a lot of them don't specify,
so it's really hard to tell unless you ask.
Speaker 2 (09:56):
Well, any company that basically gones with the tips that
are that are intended for the employees, they should be
outed and a company boycotted. It's a simil I assume
that the tips always going to a big you know,
either actual jar or theoretical jar, and they're split up
(10:17):
between the between the crew people. I don't think when
you tip the person who's nice to you that they
put that money in their pocket. Per se. Well, these
are great questions. We'll always have to deal with these questions.
Charlotte Hilton Anderson, your article is available. I assume, well,
I know it's online because I read it and I
really enjoyed it. It's a great piece. It was a
great piece. Thank you Charlotte and joining us. We would
(10:39):
love to have you back. Thank you.
Speaker 3 (10:41):
Yeah, I would love to you.
Speaker 6 (10:42):
A good night.
Speaker 2 (10:42):
All right, good night to you. When we get back,
we are going to talk about some very weird stuff
that's been lost and found in the Boston area, including
a monkey carcass at the Old Boston Garden. This is
We're gonna be talking with Heather hop Bruce of the
Boston and this is. This is a fun conversation coming
(11:03):
up right after the break here on this Wednesday night.
It's going to be rainy tomorrow, but we're gonna get
some nice weather this weekend. Back on Nightside after.
Speaker 1 (11:12):
This, It's Night Side with Boston's News Radio.
Speaker 2 (11:19):
All right, I'm delighted to introduce Heather hop Bruce I
don't think Heather's ever been with us before. She's the
Boston Globe Director of Visual Strategy for Globe Opinion. Heather,
I read this article lost and or found ten weird
but totally totally true Boston stories. Fabulous, fabulous story. No,
(11:40):
I mean that seriously, the work that you did on
this and the visual the visuals that go with us.
Has this story been in the papers it coming out
this weekend? If it had, I'm a subscriber. If it
has been out, I missed it. I read it this afternoon.
Even has it just come out?
Speaker 7 (12:00):
We actually yeah, we actually had it in print last
Sunday in the Ideas section, and then we did the
digital push on Monday and Tuesday. Usually we kind of
do that the opposite way we do digital, and then
at this time we're like, that's right this way, and
see what happened.
Speaker 2 (12:15):
Well, let's go over. I love the one about the
monkey caucus. Which one is the monkey Caucus?
Speaker 4 (12:24):
Oh? The monkey Yeah, that.
Speaker 2 (12:25):
Was the Boston Garden, right.
Speaker 4 (12:30):
Yeah, that's actually the reason why I did this whole series, because.
Speaker 7 (12:33):
I did another one a couple of years ago on
archaeology oddities, like weird things that the City of Boston
archaeology team had found and it was on social and
somebody put on social, hey, why isn't the Boston Garden
monkey part of this? And I thought, well, it wouldn't
be because it's not an archaeological find.
Speaker 4 (12:50):
But also what is this garden monkey situation?
Speaker 7 (12:54):
So I looked into it and then I started wondering
what else has been lost or found in Boston And it.
Speaker 4 (12:59):
Turned out there's a lot.
Speaker 7 (13:00):
There is a lot we didn't even get.
Speaker 4 (13:01):
In the project.
Speaker 2 (13:02):
Well, tell them about the Boston Monkey monkey project. I
covered the demolition of the Boston Garden, covered the new
opening of the Fleet Center. I've skated on the Boston
Garden ice, so this for me was something that was astonishing.
They found a monkey carcass up in the rafters and
they think it might have been a monkey that escaped
(13:24):
from one of the circuses that were in the garden
at one point.
Speaker 4 (13:28):
Yeah, but they still don't really know because apparently there
was there was a circus where.
Speaker 7 (13:33):
A bunch of monkeys escaped, but it was and I
forget the dates, forgive me, but it was far enough
fact that it wouldn't still have been any kind of
situation at all.
Speaker 2 (13:43):
I think it was nineteen thirty seven in the article
thirty seven.
Speaker 4 (13:46):
Yeah, I really read this when the Monkeys Escaped.
Speaker 2 (13:50):
I want you to know when I say I enjoyed
the article had I'm telling you the truth. I read it.
I really liked it. A little bit of the stuff
on ghosts in the quab And Reservoir. There's a whole
bunch of really interesting lost and found stuff here. Uh
and and this is I think, well, here's one that
(14:13):
you wrote the Sad Ghost tell Us about that. Is
it a sad ghost or a pig or an alien
ghost pig?
Speaker 4 (14:23):
Nobody knows, and nobody knows who's doing it. So what
sad ghost is? It's a It's basically a.
Speaker 7 (14:28):
Graffiti tag that you see all over certain neighborhoods around Boston,
and it's been going on for years and years and years,
and there's all sorts of laura and stories about it
and what's behind it and who's doing it, but there's
really no definitive thing or or placed to find out
where it is. So I just speculated a lot and
just made a plead to you know. I know, graffiti's
(14:49):
not good and it's expensive to a race, but like,
leave those because they're just such.
Speaker 5 (14:52):
A happy little thing.
Speaker 7 (14:54):
I really love sad ghosts.
Speaker 2 (14:56):
If you're medically inclined a doctor. Do this story about
doctor Charles Ferguson. Oh my gosh, the foreign bodies that
he removed from patients. But this guy has to have
a set of hands, like, you know, a conscient pianist
to be able to do what he has done.
Speaker 4 (15:18):
Yeah, that's amazing.
Speaker 7 (15:19):
I went and talked to the Boston Children's I'm never
going to say this correct the odor laryngelical maybe, yeah, that.
Speaker 4 (15:25):
Was goodists department. I cannot say that.
Speaker 7 (15:28):
Theologist, Oh you're good, that is good.
Speaker 4 (15:32):
You do this for a living. But they were.
Speaker 7 (15:35):
They were still amazed at the stuff this guy did
because they didn't have the anesthetic or the painkillers that
they do now, so they just had to rely on
this guy being fast and precise. That that's what That's
what the kids got them, fast and precise. And it's
an ether, I think, but amazing stuff.
Speaker 4 (15:54):
And they just have this display on the wall and
it's all.
Speaker 7 (15:56):
Very old and very cool.
Speaker 2 (15:59):
And then one one which is it was really hot.
I think this was done by Emily Adventures in Emily
swinging my friend who we have on here every couple
of weeks with the Cold Case file Adventures in magnet fishing.
Speaker 4 (16:12):
Oh that was good.
Speaker 2 (16:16):
It's it's it's amazing. There are still people. There are
people who do that as a hobby, just like the
people who walk around the beaches trying to detect metal
in the sand and they find wedding rings and and
things of great value. People drop magnets, you know, at
the end of a hook, and they pull stuff up
(16:36):
out of river beds, most of it good.
Speaker 4 (16:42):
Gun Like a lot of people are pulling guns.
Speaker 7 (16:45):
Out of these riverbeds, and if there's a gun in
the river bed, it's not there for a good reason.
Speaker 2 (16:50):
Absolutely absolutely, I understand that. Nor was that ordinance from
World War Two there.
Speaker 4 (16:58):
I wouldn't have recognized that.
Speaker 7 (16:59):
That looked like just like a rusty bit of blob
to me, But apparently that's what it is.
Speaker 2 (17:04):
Well, I'm sure there might have been some sort of
writing on it or something like that. But all of
this is great. So this was in Last Sunday's Globe.
I got to be honest with you, I haven't even
begun to dive into Last Sunday's Globe. We keep it
around all week. So I'm I've read the article, but
I'm going to go back and I like to read
it in the print, in the print version. Once Monday
(17:25):
rolls around, I mean, I have to read the Globe
and the Herald in the morning figure out what maybe
we want to talk about that night. So sometimes Sunday
Globe for me, the magazine section doesn't get read until
the following Saturdays. Yeah.
Speaker 7 (17:39):
Well, between between you and I, the digital version of
this one is much better because I simply had a
lot more room to put all the heart I wanted
to put in there.
Speaker 2 (17:48):
Oh it's great and some as I say on this
this this this little pistol that was found in River
Street in Boston. Yeah uh oh then oh no, this
was a Sean Sean Martel who has a YouTube channel
called Brockton Magnet Fisher found the metal scissors part attached
(18:11):
to this magnet mirror. Just all sorts of stuff, great stuff.
They can find it just go to Boston Globe dot com.
Slash two zero twenty six, twenty twenty six O three
opinion ideas graphics. Graphics are fabulous.
Speaker 7 (18:29):
I think I have I have an easier url. Okay,
you can just go to Globe dot com slash lost found.
Speaker 2 (18:38):
Perfect Globe dot com slash lost Found I love it.
I love it. He to thank you so much. We
got to have you back.
Speaker 7 (18:46):
Okay, yeah, yeah, it's so good to talk to you.
Speaker 2 (18:48):
Great to talk with you. Say hi all my friends
at the Globe, both of them, thank you so good night.
When we come back right after the news, we're going
to talk about a great program and American Lung Association
stair climb for a great cause and a little bit
of exercise. We'll be back with all the information on that,
(19:09):
and we're also going to talk with Hillary Burns of
the Boston Globe about the idea which is really becoming
quite popular. I don't know if there are any schools
that have actually put it into effect yet, a three
year in lieu of a four year college degree program.
We'll be back right after the break. The news break
at the bottom of the.
Speaker 1 (19:28):
Hour, You're on Nightside with Dan Ray on w b Z,
Boston's News Radio.
Speaker 2 (19:36):
Delighted to welcome Ashley Carrier. Ashley is with the American
Lung Association and we're going to talk about a great
program called Fight for Air. The Fight for Air climb Ashley,
Welcome to night, said, how are you this evening?
Speaker 6 (19:53):
I'm agreed, thank you, thanks for having me.
Speaker 2 (19:55):
You are the executive director of the American Lung Association,
and you're from our backyard.
Speaker 6 (20:01):
Yes, well the Lung Association here in Massachusetts, but yes,
I'm right here in Massachusetts as well.
Speaker 2 (20:07):
All right, So how many years has the American Lung
Association been doing these this program which I assume from you,
They climb up a bunch of stairs and you raise
some money, right, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 6 (20:21):
Well it's seven and eighty nine steps to the top,
which is amazing. And this is going to be our
twenty first year right here in Boston.
Speaker 5 (20:30):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (20:31):
The location is One Boston Place. For those of us
who might be a little foggy on where one Boston
Place is. This is this downtown or is into the seaport?
Where exactly is it?
Speaker 6 (20:44):
It's right in the heart of the financial district, right downtown?
Speaker 2 (20:47):
Perfect? Okay, How I'm trying to help you out here.
So if I ask tough questions, how town I'm parking,
how tough will parking be downtown? I realized that the
twenty eighth is a Saturday.
Speaker 6 (21:00):
Is a Saturday?
Speaker 5 (21:01):
Yeah, and you know what, we get that question A lot.
Speaker 6 (21:04):
Parking is really easy because we have a great partnership
with the parking garage that is adjacent to the building.
Speaker 5 (21:11):
And they give us discounted parking that day.
Speaker 6 (21:14):
So we have never knock on wood, but we've never
run out of parking before, so it's very convenient for folks.
Speaker 2 (21:20):
Okay, okay, And so yeah, this has been going on
for twenty one years. Over those one years, you must
have raised a lot of money.
Speaker 6 (21:30):
Millions of dollars O worth of twenty one years.
Speaker 2 (21:33):
Yes, and what let's let's just take it one at
a time here. The money that is raised goes obviously
to the American Lung Association. And how is that money used?
Speaker 6 (21:44):
Yeah, well, our mission at the Lung Association is to
save lives by improving lung health and preventing lung disease.
And we do that through education, research, advocacy. And something
that we're really proud of is that ninety cents of
every dollar raised goes directly back to our mission in programs.
So all of the funds raised at our Boston Fight
(22:06):
for Air climb will go directly back to programs supporting
our mission.
Speaker 2 (22:12):
Okay, so the fight for air Climb not only is
to help people keep their lungs cleaner, but another part
of that is to keep the atmosphere cleaner.
Speaker 6 (22:21):
Yes, yep, that's part of our mission as well.
Speaker 2 (22:24):
Okay, so when you talk about seven and eighty nine steps,
did they come back? I'm assuming that by time some
people who aren't used to seven hundred and eighty nine steps,
they're going to be their quads and their cabs going
to be a little tight. They climb up, do you
(22:46):
at least they get an elevator ride down? I hope.
Speaker 6 (22:49):
Yeah, we don't make some climb back down. They get
to take the elevator. And a really cool thing that
we do is on the thirty first floor. We call
it a refuel zone. So this is where we have
all of our sponsors and vendor.
Speaker 5 (23:04):
Set up and they can come take.
Speaker 6 (23:07):
A break, they can have some food, some water. We
usually will have like a chiropractor or a missuse. There,
we have our DJ and a photo booth. So it's
a lot of fun. It's a really cool atmosphere. So
there they were rewarded once they climb up all those
steps to the top.
Speaker 2 (23:24):
Okay, so how many stories are in this building to
climb seven hundred and eighty nine steps. Is this a
forty forty story building?
Speaker 6 (23:33):
Forty one?
Speaker 2 (23:34):
But I was pretty close. That's not a bad guess,
not Bodu. Yeah, I've kind of impressed with the guests,
to be honest with you. So, and it's eight o'clock
in the morning, so the parking will probably be really
easy on a Saturday morning at eight o'clock eight to three.
Here's a dumb question for people who have never done
(23:55):
this before. Is this something that can be accomplished. What's
it a couple of hours to accomplish this for someone
who hasn't done it before, or what's what's the average
amount of time to completely this track?
Speaker 6 (24:13):
That's a great question, and we get to that question
all the time. We have people who are professional climbers
who come and they are you know, climbing all over
the country, but they're few and far between. So the
vast majority of people who participate are regular people. And
we also have a large contingency of firefighters.
Speaker 5 (24:34):
Who come as well.
Speaker 6 (24:36):
But I would say, you know, the average time is
like fifteen to twenty minutes or so, and you know,
we have you know, there are leak climbers, but we
also have people who are living with long disease who
are climbing the steps with oxygen on their on their backs,
and that's really amazing and really empowering to see. So,
(24:57):
you know, we have a whole the whole range of
athletic abilities and physical abilities who come and participate in
our event.
Speaker 5 (25:05):
And it's really spectacular.
Speaker 2 (25:06):
How many staircases are in this building or how many
staircases are utilized on the twenty eighth of March.
Speaker 6 (25:14):
We we just have one staircase and the well. There
are two in the building. One you know, that goes up.
Speaker 5 (25:22):
That's where everyone is thaing to.
Speaker 6 (25:23):
We space people out every fifteen seconds, so there's it's
not crowded.
Speaker 5 (25:27):
It's one person goes at a time.
Speaker 2 (25:29):
Okay, great, And the earlier you get there you don't
sign up with time slots, the earlier you get there
probably the earlier you're allowed to start.
Speaker 6 (25:40):
Yeah, we actually assign heat times the week leading up
to the event. But if you don't register beforehand, that's okay.
You can just show up the day of and come
and participate and we'll fit you in whenever whenever you arrive.
So we welcome everyone.
Speaker 2 (25:54):
It's like getting a tea, time to play golf. I
get it, I get it. So you know what time
you have to be there and how much? Is there
a minimum that you like people to raise? I assume
the way you raise money, And if I'm wrong, please
tell me that. We don't script these questions. Actually, as
you're probably figured.
Speaker 1 (26:11):
Out by now, we kind of make it up.
Speaker 2 (26:13):
As we go along. So is there a minimum? I
assume you get your friends, your fellow workers to say, hey,
I'll give you, you know, ten cents for every step
you climb, So that would be like eighty bucks, or
maybe someone's going to give you a dollar for every step,
a nice multiple there would be like almost eight hundred dollars.
Is that how it works?
Speaker 4 (26:33):
Yeah?
Speaker 6 (26:35):
Yes, So there is a registration fee of thirty five dollars,
and we encourage people to raise one hundred dollars, okay,
you know, for our mission, and we we have a
great group of people who are here to help coach
and support people if they are feeling, you know, worried
about meeting that minimum. But it's pretty attainable for folks
(26:57):
to achieve that one hundred dollars minimum.
Speaker 2 (26:59):
Okay, and I'm assuming everybody should where, if possible, comfortable sneakers.
But you don't want to be wearing high heels, nobo.
Do you want to be Yeah, no, you want to
you want to be comfortable, and you would wear you know,
some sporting gear because I assume that as you grew
up a to be a great workout, and like anything else,
(27:20):
at the end of the workout, you know, you don't
want to be walking up there with you know, five layers.
This is an indoor event, folks. We're not talking about
Mount Everest. It may feel like Mount Everest when you
get up about it about the thirty fifth floor. But
this is great, This is really great. Actually, so how
could how could folks register? Give it? Give us that information,
(27:41):
because that's that's the most important question.
Speaker 6 (27:44):
Sure, yeah, if you want to register, you can visit
our website. It's fight for air Climb dot org, slash
Boston perfect and registrations open. The event is on March
twenty eight, So if you know, if you're on the fence,
haven't decided, you could just show up to day of
(28:04):
and we will welcome you with open arms.
Speaker 2 (28:07):
Okay, give us that one, give us that website. One
more time, because I'm sure this is going to call
Rob later on this evening. Fight Fight for air Climb
is that it?
Speaker 6 (28:19):
Yes, it's Fight for air Climb dot org, slash Boston.
Speaker 2 (28:24):
All Right, thank you so much, Ashley. It's a great cause.
Obviously all of us we have to breathe every day,
and that it's so important that the air be good
quality and that we be in good shape. And I
suspect what percent last question? The last question? I hope
the answers one hundred percent, but realistically what percentage of
(28:45):
people who attempt this make it all away?
Speaker 6 (28:51):
Pretty close to one hundred percent? I you know I couldn't.
Speaker 2 (28:56):
That's good.
Speaker 6 (28:56):
I can't remember a time that someone was not able
to finish.
Speaker 2 (28:59):
That's the best answer you could give. Ashley. Thank you
so much for a nonscripted interview. You did just great.
Thanks Ashley, Thank you appreciated long association, my pleasure. Thank
you so much. All Right, when we come back, our
fourth and final guest is Hillary Burns, Boston Globe Higher
Education reporter. And this is an ongoing debate that's going
(29:23):
on whether or not you really need to spend four
years in and around a college campus to earn that
Bachelor of the BA or the BS degree Bachelor of Science,
Bachelor of Sciences, or Bachelor of Arts. And I think
it's a really interesting question. We'll discuss that with Hillary
Burns and the Boston Globe right after a quick break
(29:43):
here on Nightside.
Speaker 1 (29:45):
You're on Night Side with Dan Ray. I'm w Boston's
News Radio.
Speaker 2 (29:51):
What a welcome, Hillary Burns, Boston Globe Higher Education reporter
to the program. Hillary, Welcome, How are you tonight?
Speaker 8 (29:57):
I'm doing well. Thanks so much for having me.
Speaker 2 (30:00):
Well, you have a great piece here inside the heated
debate over three year bachelor degrees. I'm kind of open
minded on this. I understand the economic aspect of this,
where three years will save you twenty five percent on
a four year graduation program. But has this gotten off
(30:20):
the ground anywhere or are we talking still at this
point about an idea that has not really materialized.
Speaker 7 (30:29):
Yeah, that's a good question.
Speaker 8 (30:31):
So here in Massachusetts, this is just an idea. It
hasn't taken off yet. And last month, the state's Board
of Higher Education voted to allow college and universities to
start experimenting with innovative degree offerings.
Speaker 4 (30:45):
So that really.
Speaker 8 (30:46):
Opens the door for schools to start offering or proposing
bachelor's degrees that could be finished in three years and
what would would require fewer than one hundred and twenty credits,
which is the standard for a four year degree.
Speaker 4 (31:01):
So this is a big opportunity.
Speaker 7 (31:03):
For schools and it will be really interesting to see.
Speaker 8 (31:05):
What schools across the state jump in. First, we've heard
Merrimack College has long been interested in this, and then
Baypath University in Long Meadow told me that this is
something they're working.
Speaker 7 (31:17):
On and see a lot of opportunity for well.
Speaker 2 (31:20):
It's interesting. You certainly are right when you say one
hundred and twenty credits. The way that works out is
it's thirty credits a year in the traditional college where
you're doing the fall winter and then the winter spring,
and you have the summer off. You're talking about what
is it fifteen credits, So it'd be like probably five
courses three credit hours. So over the course of a
(31:40):
four year education, there's probably forty different courses that you're
going to deal with, many of which are required courses,
and then you have your electives. If you cut it
down to three years, it would seem to me that
you're going to go from forty courses or one hundred
and twenty hours, probably down somewhere around thirty courses over
(32:01):
for ninety hours. If you lose twenty five percent, you
save twenty five percent intuition. But if you lose twenty
five percent off your college education, is it really worth it?
Would be the question I would have.
Speaker 8 (32:13):
Yeah, that's a good question, and that's one that critics
of this, including you know, many college leaders, they're quite
skeptical of this idea and say, well, every class is
important and we need we're living in a time where
people need more education, not less education, and is now
really the time to lower the standard to, you know,
(32:33):
from one hundred and twenty credits to ninety But some
of the schools I spoke with, so Johnson and Wales.
Speaker 7 (32:39):
And Rhode Island, they have this up and running.
Speaker 8 (32:42):
They've had the green light.
Speaker 7 (32:43):
From their regulators there.
Speaker 8 (32:46):
So they started this last year experimenting with three year
degrees and they have about ninety students signed up for
it right now, and the president said that those students
are doing really well and in liking the program. She said,
they come in knowing what they want to do. So
what you don't get are the elective courses, but you're
taking all the required general ED and major courses and
(33:10):
then you just get into the workforce faster.
Speaker 4 (33:12):
So she said that that's what a lot.
Speaker 8 (33:15):
Of her students want. They've been hearing for a long time,
this demand for a faster, less expensive option Bypath University
told me that they serve a lot of adult learners
and they think a lot of their adult learners will
want a faster option that's more affordable to get them
into the workforce faster.
Speaker 2 (33:34):
Well, if you talk about Johnson and Wales, that's a
culinary school. If I'm cruel, maybe they have other degrees
that they grant as well. But if you know you
want to spend your life as a chef, and I
can understand that, you can go ahead as your career
goes on and take some courses on philosophy or psychology
(33:56):
or whatever you want, but you know you're you're directed
at what you want. But a four year college, let's say,
like a Merrimac. If they do go to any four
year college, traditional liberal arts college that goes to from
four years to three years, I wonder if they change
the degrees of their prior graduates who have been there
for four years.
Speaker 8 (34:17):
It's a good question. So most people I've spoke with said,
this is not going to be for everyone, So we're
not going to swap this in and completely swap out
the four year for the three year. But for some
students this will be a good option. So I'll be
watching closely to see what types of programs come online.
I imagine this won't work for every major, but for
(34:39):
some majors it people seem to think that maybe you
could get.
Speaker 7 (34:44):
There in three years and get into the workforce faster,
and then down the road decide you want.
Speaker 6 (34:49):
That fourth year to.
Speaker 8 (34:50):
Get the complete bachelor's degree, or you want to go
on if you want to go on to a.
Speaker 4 (34:55):
Graduate school, you could do that. They're calling these degrees.
Speaker 8 (34:59):
There's a little bit of a around what to call them,
but some people are referring to them as Bachelors of
practice or career ready bachelor's degrees.
Speaker 7 (35:07):
So there's a bit of a distinction there.
Speaker 2 (35:10):
Yeah, that also is some what I would consider be
very awkward phraseology. Look, there there are schools that offer
associates degrees for two years, and a lot of those
degrees are adequate for individuals, and some of them then
take those credits and that degree and they tackle on
the additional two years. I just think it's funny. It's
(35:33):
it's going to come down to marketing. How is it marketed?
I I just think it's a big step for the schools,
and the cost of a college degree, no matter where
you go, has only increased over time, and I think
that's what's real. I think that's what's really pushing this.
There's a lot of the schools who are seeing drop
(35:56):
offs and applications and they're doing whatever they can. I
don't know has this been considered historically. I asked these
questions because I don't know the answers. Hillary. Was there
ever sort of a push for this back in the
eighties or the nineties and it sort of went away?
Is this something that has come that comes around every thirty,
(36:17):
twenty five or thirty years, or is this the first
real serious discussion about three year college degrees full college degrees.
Speaker 8 (36:26):
It's really been in the past decade or so that
this has become a pretty robust debate. I heard it
did come up during the Obama administration.
Speaker 7 (36:34):
But it didn't really go far.
Speaker 1 (36:36):
But it was.
Speaker 8 (36:36):
Discussed and there was there was open mindedness around it.
But really there's a professor in Pennsylvania, Robert Zemski, a
retired professor, and he's been advocating for three year degrees
for a while now and working with schools to experiment
with them.
Speaker 7 (36:52):
And he does have a.
Speaker 8 (36:54):
Smattering of schools around the country that are are working
on this, and he's been up to Merrimack to talk
to college leaders about why it's important.
Speaker 7 (37:03):
I think right now in higher ed there's you know,
the more people than ever.
Speaker 8 (37:07):
Are questioning the value of a college degree. As you said,
the sticker price keeps going up and up and up,
and I think people just want more options, and schools
are realizing we got to think outside the box and
try things and see what sticks and what works for
people and work for employers. Johnson and Wales said they
did have a lot of discussions with employers, whether that's
big hotel chains or they have a criminal criminal justice
(37:32):
program and graphic design as well, so they talk with
employers before launching this. So it'll be really interesting to
see where it goes from here.
Speaker 2 (37:40):
Absolutely, Hillary, I enjoyed the conversation. Really good. Good piece.
That piece I think will be in your piece. I
think will be in the Globe tomorrow if I'm not.
If I'm not mistaken.
Speaker 5 (37:51):
I believe it might be over the weekend.
Speaker 2 (37:55):
I know it was posted in digital form today, which
means that tomorrow, But folks who read their globes keep
an eye out for because it's really well done piece.
Thanks Hillary, pleasure to nice to get to know you.
Thank you very much. When we get back, we are
going to talk about a very interesting case that was
argued in front of the Massachusetts State Supreme Court on Monday,
(38:18):
whether or not the Lauren Massachusetts should change to be
consistent with a Supreme US Supreme Court decision which essentially
would allow people eighteen nineteen and twenty to purchase and
own and carry concealed weapons guns here in Massachusetts. Big Step,
I have some questions. I'm a pretty pro gun guy.
(38:40):
I'm a pro second amendmic guy, but I have questions
about this, and I suspect some of you will as well.
Feel free to join in six point seven two, five, four,
ten thirty
It's Night Side with Dan ray I'm telling you Boston's
anech Radio.
Speaker 2 (00:07):
Well we do hope tip. Goodnight here on Nightside. My
name is Dan raym the host of the program heard
every Monday through Friday night from eight until midnight. And
we have four really interesting guests coming into up this
hour different topics. We're going to talk about whether or
not you should tip when you are presented with the
tip screen at your local coffee shop. Going to talk
about about ten really weird Loston found cases in Boston.
(00:30):
Going to talk about a stair climb being sponsored by
the American Lung Association. Also going to talk about Hillary
Burns of the Boston Will about the three year college
degrees that some schools are beginning to think of, so
instead of four years to get a bachelor's degree, you
spent three years later. On tonight, we're going to talk
about the State Supreme Court here in Massachusetts weighing whether
(00:53):
or not gun licenses should be given to teenagers, people
under the age of twenty, under the age of twenty
one actually. And then we'll talk with Jeff Robbins, a columnist,
a former assistant US attorney, and you one delegate to
the United Nations Human Rights Counsel in Geneva, and we
will discuss everything you need to know about Operation Epic Fury.
(01:17):
But first I'd like to introduce Charlotte Hilton Anderson. Charlotte,
Welcome to Nightside. How are you?
Speaker 3 (01:25):
Oh, I'm great. I'm super excited to talk about moral
crises and tipping screen.
Speaker 2 (01:29):
Well, it's very important that sort of morality is the
sort of reality that's easy to talk about. You are
a journalist and a writer for readers digest, and the
question that you are asking, I guess is is it
really rude to skip the tip jar or screen at
a coffee counter. I think it's a dilemma, moral dilemma
(01:50):
that all of us have faced at some point in
our lives. It is a vestige of I think the
COVID times as we like to refer to them, back
in twenty twenty and twenty twenty one and beyond. Why
don't you set up the moral dilemma for us? Which
(02:10):
should probably be yeah.
Speaker 3 (02:11):
So ye, it's causing people a lot of panic. I
did like an online poll and people were so evenly
split on this one. Fifty percent said that you should
absolutely tip, and fifty percent said I will never tip,
and I'm not buying a CEO another mansion, and people
had really strong feelings about it. I have gotten so
much hate mail about this article from people feelings both ways.
Speaker 2 (02:35):
So that is what percentage of the fifty percent of
the people who said that you definitely should tip are
themselves professional baristas?
Speaker 3 (02:46):
If we don't see all of them, Yeah, yeah, probably
a lot.
Speaker 4 (02:50):
I mean.
Speaker 3 (02:50):
The moral dilemma is that it's this very public display
of are you a good person? Because we associate tipping
with helping people out, which makes you a good person.
And if you don't tip, then are you a bad person?
Speaker 2 (03:02):
Yeah? Yeah, so you actually in this article it readers
Digest actually come to a variety of conclusions which are
basically situational. And I happen to agree with you. When
I go into Duncans and I buy I make my
own coffee at home. I like to do that. Okay,
(03:23):
So I used to do coffee and a glaze stick
or something like that. Now I'll just do the glaze stick.
Don't do it every day, but you know certain days
you do. And I make my own coffee at home.
I don't grind the beans or anything like that, But
I just think that the prices of coffee are kind
of through the roof. What's it now, like two eighty
(03:43):
nine for a medium coffee, and that's like a Duncan's
I think anywhere else. Yeah, you know, so I'm conscious.
But what I'll do is if I'm I always deal
with cash, small cash, I'm not someone I think part
of the problem is if you always use it in
a debit card, you always going to face the screen.
(04:03):
Cash absolutely twenty cents, throw it in the jar, move on.
That's easy, but it's tougher when they present you with
the screen. Tell us that that dilemma and how you
handle that with you Yeah.
Speaker 3 (04:18):
Yeah, First of all, I think your solution is a
really creative one, and I wish I'd thought to put
it in the article.
Speaker 5 (04:22):
That's genius.
Speaker 3 (04:24):
So the electronic tipping screen takes advantage of that inertia
where you're you already have your credit card out, you're
already tapping to pay, and it just makes it seamless
to add more money. Plus you have that public spectacle
of everybody looking at you, the workers looking at you,
the other people are looking at you. So what I
decided for myself because I'm very susceptible to peer pressure,
I'll admit it, and so I had to make some
(04:46):
guidelines which included is it worth it? Did they add
extra value or extra effort to what they're doing? Is
it a small business? Is it a big corporate thing?
Which is a lot of mental calculus honestly to get
a coffee?
Speaker 2 (05:00):
Yeah, too much early in the morning for me, right.
Speaker 3 (05:04):
Right, that's why we're getting the coffee, right, yes, of course.
Speaker 2 (05:07):
Of course. So well, I sort of analogize it to restaurants.
So for example, I think if you go to have
dinner in a restaurant with someone and you're picking up
the tab, and if you're the guy, I hope you're
picking up the tab, particularly if you're on a date
or something like that, kind of old school. You look
at the bill and you think, okay, how will we
(05:29):
treat it. If the person came over and was really
peppy and welcoming, they get a little extra. If they
were horrific, if they were inattentive, they get a little less.
I mean, you really can't go below fifteen percent. I
think when you're in a restaurant and you know twenty
percent is the standard tip if it's standard service twenty percent,
(05:53):
that's easy.
Speaker 3 (05:56):
Yeah, But the crucial difference with that is that at
those types of restaurants, workers are normally making the tipped
minimum wage, your minimum food wage, which is like two
to three dollars an hour. People like the barista, or
at a fast food chain or something, they're making regular
minimum wage, which isn't like a ton of money, but
it's a lot more than two or three dollars an hour.
(06:17):
So like tipped wages, it's expected that you'll tip other wages.
I don't know where we got the idea that we
have to tip for everything. One of the things that
I found the most interesting was they had this study
from twenty twenty five that found that eighty I think
it is eighty eight percent of Americans agreed that companies
should pay their workers more money instead of expecting customers
(06:39):
to tip more.
Speaker 2 (06:40):
Sure, yeah, well that's part of it as well. And
the other thing too is I just think it's always
going to be how the person treats you. If I
go in and the person is really nice to me
and I bought, you know, a two dollars pastry or
something like that, I'm willing to put a bucket in
the tip jar, because that that's going to be of
(07:03):
some significance. But if the person just kind of goes
through the motions, doesn't even make eye contact and hands
to you, then okay. If they want to make it
that cold, I guess you got to write to be cold.
If they're warm and fuzzy, I think you tip. Yeah,
maybe that's too simple a formula. In your you talked
(07:25):
about the baristas and people will go in and they're
ordering you know this, and with fourteen different combinations, those
people should be tipping. I think if you're going in
and you're saying, I want, you know, my mocha this
and a vanilla shot and some some cream on top
or whatever, and can you stir it for me four
(07:46):
times a counterclockwise, if they do that for you, you
better tip. I think.
Speaker 3 (07:53):
I agree. I agree, especially when they take the extra effort.
The place where people got really split in the online
poll was they could see a custom coffee like generating
an extra tip because it takes some extra work. Where
people got upset with the bagel counter, like you're cutting
a bagel enough, you're putting cream cheese on it, you're
putting in a bag and you're handing it to someone.
So even if they were really nice, would you still
(08:14):
feel like that was a tip?
Speaker 2 (08:16):
I would. I would. But again, if you're I'm a
person who has something of a public persona having worked
in the business here for many, many years, you don't
want someone saying, what a cheap sob That guy is
what I used to like to do. I'm a dunkin
Donuts guy. Always been a dunkin Donuts guy, simplest, even
(08:37):
when I was buying the car, well, I'd buy the
dunkin Donuts coffee and make my so some of my
crews when I worked in television, they would insist on
going into a Starbucks and I used to light the
light going into the Starbucks. This is when Starbucks really
first started, like maybe twenty five years ago. And I
would go in and I would stand in the line
following my crew and they would order all the fancy
smancy stuff, and I'd say, do you happen to have
(08:59):
dunkin Donut? That's coffee? The Bretons can be like, what
an idiot? But I used to enjoy going in and
then laugh. They'd get the joke, and I say, No'm
a Doncadnu's guy just hanging hanging with my crew, and
you make kind of a little bit of a joke,
but when it comes to tips, there's no joking around.
(09:20):
I think you got you gotta do the right thing,
in the words of Spike Lee, do the right thing,
whatever it feels right, do it.
Speaker 1 (09:29):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (09:30):
Well, and there's a lot to be said for just
making the world a little bit kinder, a little bit nicer.
I mean, if you can afford it and it doesn't
hurt to tips and it makes someone else happy, I
think that's pretty great. The other question I have too
is though a lot of we don't know where the
electronic tips go necessarily, so it may not be the
worker that gave you the nice coffee that's actually getting
the tip. So some of them actually just go directly
(09:52):
to management. And it's a lot of them don't specify,
so it's really hard to tell unless you ask.
Speaker 2 (09:56):
Well, any company that basically gones with the tips that
are that are intended for the employees, they should be
outed and a company boycotted. It's a simil I assume
that the tips always going to a big you know,
either actual jar or theoretical jar, and they're split up
(10:17):
between the between the crew people. I don't think when
you tip the person who's nice to you that they
put that money in their pocket. Per se. Well, these
are great questions. We'll always have to deal with these questions.
Charlotte Hilton Anderson, your article is available. I assume, well,
I know it's online because I read it and I
really enjoyed it. It's a great piece. It was a
great piece. Thank you Charlotte and joining us. We would
(10:39):
love to have you back. Thank you.
Speaker 3 (10:41):
Yeah, I would love to you.
Speaker 6 (10:42):
A good night.
Speaker 2 (10:42):
All right, good night to you. When we get back,
we are going to talk about some very weird stuff
that's been lost and found in the Boston area, including
a monkey carcass at the Old Boston Garden. This is
We're gonna be talking with Heather hop Bruce of the
Boston and this is. This is a fun conversation coming
(11:03):
up right after the break here on this Wednesday night.
It's going to be rainy tomorrow, but we're gonna get
some nice weather this weekend. Back on Nightside after.
Speaker 1 (11:12):
This, It's Night Side with Boston's News Radio.
Speaker 2 (11:19):
All right, I'm delighted to introduce Heather hop Bruce I
don't think Heather's ever been with us before. She's the
Boston Globe Director of Visual Strategy for Globe Opinion. Heather,
I read this article lost and or found ten weird
but totally totally true Boston stories. Fabulous, fabulous story. No,
(11:40):
I mean that seriously, the work that you did on
this and the visual the visuals that go with us.
Has this story been in the papers it coming out
this weekend? If it had, I'm a subscriber. If it
has been out, I missed it. I read it this afternoon.
Even has it just come out?
Speaker 7 (12:00):
We actually yeah, we actually had it in print last
Sunday in the Ideas section, and then we did the
digital push on Monday and Tuesday. Usually we kind of
do that the opposite way we do digital, and then
at this time we're like, that's right this way, and
see what happened.
Speaker 2 (12:15):
Well, let's go over. I love the one about the
monkey caucus. Which one is the monkey Caucus?
Speaker 4 (12:24):
Oh? The monkey Yeah, that.
Speaker 2 (12:25):
Was the Boston Garden, right.
Speaker 4 (12:30):
Yeah, that's actually the reason why I did this whole series, because.
Speaker 7 (12:33):
I did another one a couple of years ago on
archaeology oddities, like weird things that the City of Boston
archaeology team had found and it was on social and
somebody put on social, hey, why isn't the Boston Garden
monkey part of this? And I thought, well, it wouldn't
be because it's not an archaeological find.
Speaker 4 (12:50):
But also what is this garden monkey situation?
Speaker 7 (12:54):
So I looked into it and then I started wondering
what else has been lost or found in Boston And it.
Speaker 4 (12:59):
Turned out there's a lot.
Speaker 7 (13:00):
There is a lot we didn't even get.
Speaker 4 (13:01):
In the project.
Speaker 2 (13:02):
Well, tell them about the Boston Monkey monkey project. I
covered the demolition of the Boston Garden, covered the new
opening of the Fleet Center. I've skated on the Boston
Garden ice, so this for me was something that was astonishing.
They found a monkey carcass up in the rafters and
they think it might have been a monkey that escaped
(13:24):
from one of the circuses that were in the garden
at one point.
Speaker 4 (13:28):
Yeah, but they still don't really know because apparently there
was there was a circus where.
Speaker 7 (13:33):
A bunch of monkeys escaped, but it was and I
forget the dates, forgive me, but it was far enough
fact that it wouldn't still have been any kind of
situation at all.
Speaker 2 (13:43):
I think it was nineteen thirty seven in the article
thirty seven.
Speaker 4 (13:46):
Yeah, I really read this when the Monkeys Escaped.
Speaker 2 (13:50):
I want you to know when I say I enjoyed
the article had I'm telling you the truth. I read it.
I really liked it. A little bit of the stuff
on ghosts in the quab And Reservoir. There's a whole
bunch of really interesting lost and found stuff here. Uh
and and this is I think, well, here's one that
(14:13):
you wrote the Sad Ghost tell Us about that. Is
it a sad ghost or a pig or an alien
ghost pig?
Speaker 4 (14:23):
Nobody knows, and nobody knows who's doing it. So what
sad ghost is? It's a It's basically a.
Speaker 7 (14:28):
Graffiti tag that you see all over certain neighborhoods around Boston,
and it's been going on for years and years and years,
and there's all sorts of laura and stories about it
and what's behind it and who's doing it, but there's
really no definitive thing or or placed to find out
where it is. So I just speculated a lot and
just made a plead to you know. I know, graffiti's
(14:49):
not good and it's expensive to a race, but like,
leave those because they're just such.
Speaker 5 (14:52):
A happy little thing.
Speaker 7 (14:54):
I really love sad ghosts.
Speaker 2 (14:56):
If you're medically inclined a doctor. Do this story about
doctor Charles Ferguson. Oh my gosh, the foreign bodies that
he removed from patients. But this guy has to have
a set of hands, like, you know, a conscient pianist
to be able to do what he has done.
Speaker 4 (15:18):
Yeah, that's amazing.
Speaker 7 (15:19):
I went and talked to the Boston Children's I'm never
going to say this correct the odor laryngelical maybe, yeah, that.
Speaker 4 (15:25):
Was goodists department. I cannot say that.
Speaker 7 (15:28):
Theologist, Oh you're good, that is good.
Speaker 4 (15:32):
You do this for a living. But they were.
Speaker 7 (15:35):
They were still amazed at the stuff this guy did
because they didn't have the anesthetic or the painkillers that
they do now, so they just had to rely on
this guy being fast and precise. That that's what That's
what the kids got them, fast and precise. And it's
an ether, I think, but amazing stuff.
Speaker 4 (15:54):
And they just have this display on the wall and
it's all.
Speaker 7 (15:56):
Very old and very cool.
Speaker 2 (15:59):
And then one one which is it was really hot.
I think this was done by Emily Adventures in Emily
swinging my friend who we have on here every couple
of weeks with the Cold Case file Adventures in magnet fishing.
Speaker 4 (16:12):
Oh that was good.
Speaker 2 (16:16):
It's it's it's amazing. There are still people. There are
people who do that as a hobby, just like the
people who walk around the beaches trying to detect metal
in the sand and they find wedding rings and and
things of great value. People drop magnets, you know, at
the end of a hook, and they pull stuff up
(16:36):
out of river beds, most of it good.
Speaker 4 (16:42):
Gun Like a lot of people are pulling guns.
Speaker 7 (16:45):
Out of these riverbeds, and if there's a gun in
the river bed, it's not there for a good reason.
Speaker 2 (16:50):
Absolutely absolutely, I understand that. Nor was that ordinance from
World War Two there.
Speaker 4 (16:58):
I wouldn't have recognized that.
Speaker 7 (16:59):
That looked like just like a rusty bit of blob
to me, But apparently that's what it is.
Speaker 2 (17:04):
Well, I'm sure there might have been some sort of
writing on it or something like that. But all of
this is great. So this was in Last Sunday's Globe.
I got to be honest with you, I haven't even
begun to dive into Last Sunday's Globe. We keep it
around all week. So I'm I've read the article, but
I'm going to go back and I like to read
it in the print, in the print version. Once Monday
(17:25):
rolls around, I mean, I have to read the Globe
and the Herald in the morning figure out what maybe
we want to talk about that night. So sometimes Sunday
Globe for me, the magazine section doesn't get read until
the following Saturdays. Yeah.
Speaker 7 (17:39):
Well, between between you and I, the digital version of
this one is much better because I simply had a
lot more room to put all the heart I wanted
to put in there.
Speaker 2 (17:48):
Oh it's great and some as I say on this
this this this little pistol that was found in River
Street in Boston. Yeah uh oh then oh no, this
was a Sean Sean Martel who has a YouTube channel
called Brockton Magnet Fisher found the metal scissors part attached
(18:11):
to this magnet mirror. Just all sorts of stuff, great stuff.
They can find it just go to Boston Globe dot com.
Slash two zero twenty six, twenty twenty six O three
opinion ideas graphics. Graphics are fabulous.
Speaker 7 (18:29):
I think I have I have an easier url. Okay,
you can just go to Globe dot com slash lost found.
Speaker 2 (18:38):
Perfect Globe dot com slash lost Found I love it.
I love it. He to thank you so much. We
got to have you back.
Speaker 7 (18:46):
Okay, yeah, yeah, it's so good to talk to you.
Speaker 2 (18:48):
Great to talk with you. Say hi all my friends
at the Globe, both of them, thank you so good night.
When we come back right after the news, we're going
to talk about a great program and American Lung Association
stair climb for a great cause and a little bit
of exercise. We'll be back with all the information on that,
(19:09):
and we're also going to talk with Hillary Burns of
the Boston Globe about the idea which is really becoming
quite popular. I don't know if there are any schools
that have actually put it into effect yet, a three
year in lieu of a four year college degree program.
We'll be back right after the break. The news break
at the bottom of the.
Speaker 1 (19:28):
Hour, You're on Nightside with Dan Ray on w b Z,
Boston's News Radio.
Speaker 2 (19:36):
Delighted to welcome Ashley Carrier. Ashley is with the American
Lung Association and we're going to talk about a great
program called Fight for Air. The Fight for Air climb Ashley,
Welcome to night, said, how are you this evening?
Speaker 6 (19:53):
I'm agreed, thank you, thanks for having me.
Speaker 2 (19:55):
You are the executive director of the American Lung Association,
and you're from our backyard.
Speaker 6 (20:01):
Yes, well the Lung Association here in Massachusetts, but yes,
I'm right here in Massachusetts as well.
Speaker 2 (20:07):
All right, So how many years has the American Lung
Association been doing these this program which I assume from you,
They climb up a bunch of stairs and you raise
some money, right, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 6 (20:21):
Well it's seven and eighty nine steps to the top,
which is amazing. And this is going to be our
twenty first year right here in Boston.
Speaker 5 (20:30):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (20:31):
The location is One Boston Place. For those of us
who might be a little foggy on where one Boston
Place is. This is this downtown or is into the seaport?
Where exactly is it?
Speaker 6 (20:44):
It's right in the heart of the financial district, right downtown?
Speaker 2 (20:47):
Perfect? Okay, How I'm trying to help you out here.
So if I ask tough questions, how town I'm parking,
how tough will parking be downtown? I realized that the
twenty eighth is a Saturday.
Speaker 6 (21:00):
Is a Saturday?
Speaker 5 (21:01):
Yeah, and you know what, we get that question A lot.
Speaker 6 (21:04):
Parking is really easy because we have a great partnership
with the parking garage that is adjacent to the building.
Speaker 5 (21:11):
And they give us discounted parking that day.
Speaker 6 (21:14):
So we have never knock on wood, but we've never
run out of parking before, so it's very convenient for folks.
Speaker 2 (21:20):
Okay, okay, And so yeah, this has been going on
for twenty one years. Over those one years, you must
have raised a lot of money.
Speaker 6 (21:30):
Millions of dollars O worth of twenty one years.
Speaker 2 (21:33):
Yes, and what let's let's just take it one at
a time here. The money that is raised goes obviously
to the American Lung Association. And how is that money used?
Speaker 6 (21:44):
Yeah, well, our mission at the Lung Association is to
save lives by improving lung health and preventing lung disease.
And we do that through education, research, advocacy. And something
that we're really proud of is that ninety cents of
every dollar raised goes directly back to our mission in programs.
So all of the funds raised at our Boston Fight
(22:06):
for Air climb will go directly back to programs supporting
our mission.
Speaker 2 (22:12):
Okay, so the fight for air Climb not only is
to help people keep their lungs cleaner, but another part
of that is to keep the atmosphere cleaner.
Speaker 6 (22:21):
Yes, yep, that's part of our mission as well.
Speaker 2 (22:24):
Okay, so when you talk about seven and eighty nine steps,
did they come back? I'm assuming that by time some
people who aren't used to seven hundred and eighty nine steps,
they're going to be their quads and their cabs going
to be a little tight. They climb up, do you
(22:46):
at least they get an elevator ride down? I hope.
Speaker 6 (22:49):
Yeah, we don't make some climb back down. They get
to take the elevator. And a really cool thing that
we do is on the thirty first floor. We call
it a refuel zone. So this is where we have
all of our sponsors and vendor.
Speaker 5 (23:04):
Set up and they can come take.
Speaker 6 (23:07):
A break, they can have some food, some water. We
usually will have like a chiropractor or a missuse. There,
we have our DJ and a photo booth. So it's
a lot of fun. It's a really cool atmosphere. So
there they were rewarded once they climb up all those
steps to the top.
Speaker 2 (23:24):
Okay, so how many stories are in this building to
climb seven hundred and eighty nine steps. Is this a
forty forty story building?
Speaker 6 (23:33):
Forty one?
Speaker 2 (23:34):
But I was pretty close. That's not a bad guess,
not Bodu. Yeah, I've kind of impressed with the guests,
to be honest with you. So, and it's eight o'clock
in the morning, so the parking will probably be really
easy on a Saturday morning at eight o'clock eight to three.
Here's a dumb question for people who have never done
(23:55):
this before. Is this something that can be accomplished. What's
it a couple of hours to accomplish this for someone
who hasn't done it before, or what's what's the average
amount of time to completely this track?
Speaker 6 (24:13):
That's a great question, and we get to that question
all the time. We have people who are professional climbers
who come and they are you know, climbing all over
the country, but they're few and far between. So the
vast majority of people who participate are regular people. And
we also have a large contingency of firefighters.
Speaker 5 (24:34):
Who come as well.
Speaker 6 (24:36):
But I would say, you know, the average time is
like fifteen to twenty minutes or so, and you know,
we have you know, there are leak climbers, but we
also have people who are living with long disease who
are climbing the steps with oxygen on their on their backs,
and that's really amazing and really empowering to see. So,
(24:57):
you know, we have a whole the whole range of
athletic abilities and physical abilities who come and participate in
our event.
Speaker 5 (25:05):
And it's really spectacular.
Speaker 2 (25:06):
How many staircases are in this building or how many
staircases are utilized on the twenty eighth of March.
Speaker 6 (25:14):
We we just have one staircase and the well. There
are two in the building. One you know, that goes up.
Speaker 5 (25:22):
That's where everyone is thaing to.
Speaker 6 (25:23):
We space people out every fifteen seconds, so there's it's
not crowded.
Speaker 5 (25:27):
It's one person goes at a time.
Speaker 2 (25:29):
Okay, great, And the earlier you get there you don't
sign up with time slots, the earlier you get there
probably the earlier you're allowed to start.
Speaker 6 (25:40):
Yeah, we actually assign heat times the week leading up
to the event. But if you don't register beforehand, that's okay.
You can just show up the day of and come
and participate and we'll fit you in whenever whenever you arrive.
So we welcome everyone.
Speaker 2 (25:54):
It's like getting a tea, time to play golf. I
get it, I get it. So you know what time
you have to be there and how much? Is there
a minimum that you like people to raise? I assume
the way you raise money, And if I'm wrong, please
tell me that. We don't script these questions. Actually, as
you're probably figured.
Speaker 1 (26:11):
Out by now, we kind of make it up.
Speaker 2 (26:13):
As we go along. So is there a minimum? I
assume you get your friends, your fellow workers to say, hey,
I'll give you, you know, ten cents for every step
you climb, So that would be like eighty bucks, or
maybe someone's going to give you a dollar for every step,
a nice multiple there would be like almost eight hundred dollars.
Is that how it works?
Speaker 4 (26:33):
Yeah?
Speaker 6 (26:35):
Yes, So there is a registration fee of thirty five dollars,
and we encourage people to raise one hundred dollars, okay,
you know, for our mission, and we we have a
great group of people who are here to help coach
and support people if they are feeling, you know, worried
about meeting that minimum. But it's pretty attainable for folks
(26:57):
to achieve that one hundred dollars minimum.
Speaker 2 (26:59):
Okay, and I'm assuming everybody should where, if possible, comfortable sneakers.
But you don't want to be wearing high heels, nobo.
Do you want to be Yeah, no, you want to
you want to be comfortable, and you would wear you know,
some sporting gear because I assume that as you grew
up a to be a great workout, and like anything else,
(27:20):
at the end of the workout, you know, you don't
want to be walking up there with you know, five layers.
This is an indoor event, folks. We're not talking about
Mount Everest. It may feel like Mount Everest when you
get up about it about the thirty fifth floor. But
this is great, This is really great. Actually, so how
could how could folks register? Give it? Give us that information,
(27:41):
because that's that's the most important question.
Speaker 6 (27:44):
Sure, yeah, if you want to register, you can visit
our website. It's fight for air Climb dot org, slash
Boston perfect and registrations open. The event is on March
twenty eight, So if you know, if you're on the fence,
haven't decided, you could just show up to day of
(28:04):
and we will welcome you with open arms.
Speaker 2 (28:07):
Okay, give us that one, give us that website. One
more time, because I'm sure this is going to call
Rob later on this evening. Fight Fight for air Climb
is that it?
Speaker 6 (28:19):
Yes, it's Fight for air Climb dot org, slash Boston.
Speaker 2 (28:24):
All Right, thank you so much, Ashley. It's a great cause.
Obviously all of us we have to breathe every day,
and that it's so important that the air be good
quality and that we be in good shape. And I
suspect what percent last question? The last question? I hope
the answers one hundred percent, but realistically what percentage of
(28:45):
people who attempt this make it all away?
Speaker 6 (28:51):
Pretty close to one hundred percent? I you know I couldn't.
Speaker 2 (28:56):
That's good.
Speaker 6 (28:56):
I can't remember a time that someone was not able
to finish.
Speaker 2 (28:59):
That's the best answer you could give. Ashley. Thank you
so much for a nonscripted interview. You did just great.
Thanks Ashley, Thank you appreciated long association, my pleasure. Thank
you so much. All Right, when we come back, our
fourth and final guest is Hillary Burns, Boston Globe Higher
Education reporter. And this is an ongoing debate that's going
(29:23):
on whether or not you really need to spend four
years in and around a college campus to earn that
Bachelor of the BA or the BS degree Bachelor of Science,
Bachelor of Sciences, or Bachelor of Arts. And I think
it's a really interesting question. We'll discuss that with Hillary
Burns and the Boston Globe right after a quick break
(29:43):
here on Nightside.
Speaker 1 (29:45):
You're on Night Side with Dan Ray. I'm w Boston's
News Radio.
Speaker 2 (29:51):
What a welcome, Hillary Burns, Boston Globe Higher Education reporter
to the program. Hillary, Welcome, How are you tonight?
Speaker 8 (29:57):
I'm doing well. Thanks so much for having me.
Speaker 2 (30:00):
Well, you have a great piece here inside the heated
debate over three year bachelor degrees. I'm kind of open
minded on this. I understand the economic aspect of this,
where three years will save you twenty five percent on
a four year graduation program. But has this gotten off
(30:20):
the ground anywhere or are we talking still at this
point about an idea that has not really materialized.
Speaker 7 (30:29):
Yeah, that's a good question.
Speaker 8 (30:31):
So here in Massachusetts, this is just an idea. It
hasn't taken off yet. And last month, the state's Board
of Higher Education voted to allow college and universities to
start experimenting with innovative degree offerings.
Speaker 4 (30:45):
So that really.
Speaker 8 (30:46):
Opens the door for schools to start offering or proposing
bachelor's degrees that could be finished in three years and
what would would require fewer than one hundred and twenty credits,
which is the standard for a four year degree.
Speaker 4 (31:01):
So this is a big opportunity.
Speaker 7 (31:03):
For schools and it will be really interesting to see.
Speaker 8 (31:05):
What schools across the state jump in. First, we've heard
Merrimack College has long been interested in this, and then
Baypath University in Long Meadow told me that this is
something they're working.
Speaker 7 (31:17):
On and see a lot of opportunity for well.
Speaker 2 (31:20):
It's interesting. You certainly are right when you say one
hundred and twenty credits. The way that works out is
it's thirty credits a year in the traditional college where
you're doing the fall winter and then the winter spring,
and you have the summer off. You're talking about what
is it fifteen credits, So it'd be like probably five
courses three credit hours. So over the course of a
(31:40):
four year education, there's probably forty different courses that you're
going to deal with, many of which are required courses,
and then you have your electives. If you cut it
down to three years, it would seem to me that
you're going to go from forty courses or one hundred
and twenty hours, probably down somewhere around thirty courses over
(32:01):
for ninety hours. If you lose twenty five percent, you
save twenty five percent intuition. But if you lose twenty
five percent off your college education, is it really worth it?
Would be the question I would have.
Speaker 8 (32:13):
Yeah, that's a good question, and that's one that critics
of this, including you know, many college leaders, they're quite
skeptical of this idea and say, well, every class is
important and we need we're living in a time where
people need more education, not less education, and is now
really the time to lower the standard to, you know,
(32:33):
from one hundred and twenty credits to ninety But some
of the schools I spoke with, so Johnson and Wales.
Speaker 7 (32:39):
And Rhode Island, they have this up and running.
Speaker 8 (32:42):
They've had the green light.
Speaker 7 (32:43):
From their regulators there.
Speaker 8 (32:46):
So they started this last year experimenting with three year
degrees and they have about ninety students signed up for
it right now, and the president said that those students
are doing really well and in liking the program. She said,
they come in knowing what they want to do. So
what you don't get are the elective courses, but you're
taking all the required general ED and major courses and
(33:10):
then you just get into the workforce faster.
Speaker 4 (33:12):
So she said that that's what a lot.
Speaker 8 (33:15):
Of her students want. They've been hearing for a long time,
this demand for a faster, less expensive option Bypath University
told me that they serve a lot of adult learners
and they think a lot of their adult learners will
want a faster option that's more affordable to get them
into the workforce faster.
Speaker 2 (33:34):
Well, if you talk about Johnson and Wales, that's a
culinary school. If I'm cruel, maybe they have other degrees
that they grant as well. But if you know you
want to spend your life as a chef, and I
can understand that, you can go ahead as your career
goes on and take some courses on philosophy or psychology
(33:56):
or whatever you want, but you know you're you're directed
at what you want. But a four year college, let's say,
like a Merrimac. If they do go to any four
year college, traditional liberal arts college that goes to from
four years to three years, I wonder if they change
the degrees of their prior graduates who have been there
for four years.
Speaker 8 (34:17):
It's a good question. So most people I've spoke with said,
this is not going to be for everyone, So we're
not going to swap this in and completely swap out
the four year for the three year. But for some
students this will be a good option. So I'll be
watching closely to see what types of programs come online.
I imagine this won't work for every major, but for
(34:39):
some majors it people seem to think that maybe you
could get.
Speaker 7 (34:44):
There in three years and get into the workforce faster,
and then down the road decide you want.
Speaker 6 (34:49):
That fourth year to.
Speaker 8 (34:50):
Get the complete bachelor's degree, or you want to go
on if you want to go on to a.
Speaker 4 (34:55):
Graduate school, you could do that. They're calling these degrees.
Speaker 8 (34:59):
There's a little bit of a around what to call them,
but some people are referring to them as Bachelors of
practice or career ready bachelor's degrees.
Speaker 7 (35:07):
So there's a bit of a distinction there.
Speaker 2 (35:10):
Yeah, that also is some what I would consider be
very awkward phraseology. Look, there there are schools that offer
associates degrees for two years, and a lot of those
degrees are adequate for individuals, and some of them then
take those credits and that degree and they tackle on
the additional two years. I just think it's funny. It's
(35:33):
it's going to come down to marketing. How is it marketed?
I I just think it's a big step for the schools,
and the cost of a college degree, no matter where
you go, has only increased over time, and I think
that's what's real. I think that's what's really pushing this.
There's a lot of the schools who are seeing drop
(35:56):
offs and applications and they're doing whatever they can. I
don't know has this been considered historically. I asked these
questions because I don't know the answers. Hillary. Was there
ever sort of a push for this back in the
eighties or the nineties and it sort of went away?
Is this something that has come that comes around every thirty,
(36:17):
twenty five or thirty years, or is this the first
real serious discussion about three year college degrees full college degrees.
Speaker 8 (36:26):
It's really been in the past decade or so that
this has become a pretty robust debate. I heard it
did come up during the Obama administration.
Speaker 7 (36:34):
But it didn't really go far.
Speaker 1 (36:36):
But it was.
Speaker 8 (36:36):
Discussed and there was there was open mindedness around it.
But really there's a professor in Pennsylvania, Robert Zemski, a
retired professor, and he's been advocating for three year degrees
for a while now and working with schools to experiment
with them.
Speaker 7 (36:52):
And he does have a.
Speaker 8 (36:54):
Smattering of schools around the country that are are working
on this, and he's been up to Merrimack to talk
to college leaders about why it's important.
Speaker 7 (37:03):
I think right now in higher ed there's you know,
the more people than ever.
Speaker 8 (37:07):
Are questioning the value of a college degree. As you said,
the sticker price keeps going up and up and up,
and I think people just want more options, and schools
are realizing we got to think outside the box and
try things and see what sticks and what works for
people and work for employers. Johnson and Wales said they
did have a lot of discussions with employers, whether that's
big hotel chains or they have a criminal criminal justice
(37:32):
program and graphic design as well, so they talk with
employers before launching this. So it'll be really interesting to
see where it goes from here.
Speaker 2 (37:40):
Absolutely, Hillary, I enjoyed the conversation. Really good. Good piece.
That piece I think will be in your piece. I
think will be in the Globe tomorrow if I'm not.
If I'm not mistaken.
Speaker 5 (37:51):
I believe it might be over the weekend.
Speaker 2 (37:55):
I know it was posted in digital form today, which
means that tomorrow, But folks who read their globes keep
an eye out for because it's really well done piece.
Thanks Hillary, pleasure to nice to get to know you.
Thank you very much. When we get back, we are
going to talk about a very interesting case that was
argued in front of the Massachusetts State Supreme Court on Monday,
(38:18):
whether or not the Lauren Massachusetts should change to be
consistent with a Supreme US Supreme Court decision which essentially
would allow people eighteen nineteen and twenty to purchase and
own and carry concealed weapons guns here in Massachusetts. Big Step,
I have some questions. I'm a pretty pro gun guy.
(38:40):
I'm a pro second amendmic guy, but I have questions
about this, and I suspect some of you will as well.
Feel free to join in six point seven two, five, four,
ten thirty
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